Friday, September 23, 2011

Tunnel Vision by Susan Shaw

It all seemed like an ordinary day. Liza was walking home, as usual. She was walking by the train overpass, as usual. The group of men by the tunnel wasn't usual, but it didn't seem too strange. Then things did start getting strange. Her mother was yelling at her. There was a loud noise. There was blood. Then the police came. It didn't seem possible that her mother could be dead - murdered - in the street in front of her house. The police need Liza as a witness, and in order to keep her safe she and her dad must go into the Witness Protection program. They must leave everything behind, including their names. Everything has happened so fast. Liza isn't sure how to handle everything, or even if she wants to help the police. But she won't have much time to think about it, because every minute puts her deeper into danger.

Witness Protection Program books usually bother me because the characters often make really bad choices for really bad reasons. But I was pleasantly surprised with Tunnel Vision. It's not that Liza didn't make questionable choices, because she does. But I think Susan Shaw grounded her character in a way that I don't usually see, so I could understand Liza a bit more. The action keeps the thriller moving along at a good pace (I read the book in one sitting because I had to know what happened next). It's also an interesting look at how things like 'disappearing' have changed in an internet age. How can you disappear when your picture is on 24 hour news channels and newspaper websites? Can you slip through unnoticed when cell phones and GPS devices are so common? How can you start a new life when reminders of your own life are so easily uncovered?

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About Me

All opinions are mine and do not reflect the opinions of anyone that I work for or anyone who has sent me a book for review.

About My Blog's Name

My blog name comes from people crowding re-shelving trucks in the library, eager to see what other people were returning. There's an excitement in finding out what other people are reading, and it's a great way to get ideas for what to read next.

Looking for More Books?

For each title, I've listed a few other books under Read It With. These are titles that are similar in some way: plots, tones, themes, settings, characters, and so on. They're not straight-up read-alikes; for example, sometimes a juvenile book might have a picture book, a YA book, or an adult book listed. There's not really a science to how I come up with them - they're just meant to spark something if you're interested in a title.